Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Cuculic will be president and CEO for Best Western

He succeeds David Kong, who retires at the end of the year

Cuculic will be president and CEO for Best Western

LAWRENCE “LARRY” CUCULIC, Best Western Hotels Group’s senior vice president and general counsel, will succeed David Kong as the company’s president and CEO when Kong retires at the end of the year. The announcement was made during the company’s annual convention in Las Vegas Thursday after an emotional farewell to Kong, who has served as president and CEO for 17 years.

Cuculic has been serving in his current position for the company for 12 years and will assume his new role on Dec. 1 after Kong officially steps down, Best Western said in a statement. Previously, Cuculic was senior vice president general counsel and corporate secretary for Wabash National Corp., vice president legal and corporate secretary for American Commercial Lines, Inc., and was a partner in the law firm Gambs, Mucker & Bauman.


He is a U.S. Army veteran and served as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer. Cuculic graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Notre Dame Law School.

The search for Kong’s replacement took approximately 8 months, said Ishwar Naran, chairman of Best Western’s board of directors.

“We went through a really thorough process of external candidates and internal candidates. And we also hired Korn Ferry [management consulting company] as a consultant to go through this process,” Naran said. “That was a big responsibility for the board this year. The best part is that every board director is supporting the decision, so I do believe sincerely that we made the right decision.”

Naran said Cuculic stood out from the other candidates in several ways.

“I think our membership is a unique membership compared to other brands. It had to be somebody who fit our culture. That was one of the priorities,” he said. “We have known Larry for almost 12 years now. I have known him personally in abroad for four or five years. I think his thoughtfulness, his calmness, his leadership quality, is his domain of highest integrity in my opinion. We know that he is a leader and he will lead us.”

Six promises

In his acceptance speech, Cuculic said he would make six promises to Best Western members.

“Now I know six is a strange number. I could try to limit it to a round number like five but I couldn't cut the list because to me all six are important,” Cuculic said.

The promises are:

  1. To always respect that members have a voice that deserves to be heard.
  2. To always work hard with honesty, integrity and fairness.
  3. To focus on driving revenue for the members.
  4. To make wise use of funds from members’ fees.
  5. To strategically grow the Best Western brand in a way that does not negatively impact members.
  6. To protect Best Western’s reputation among guests by providing a quality state for value.

    ENEWS COVID 10 11 21 Best Western new CEO Kong closeup David Kong, who will retire at the end of the year as Best Western’s president and CEO after 17 years in the position, makes his official farewell speech during the company’s annual conference in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“I think Larry was right on with his six promises, and he talked about spending time with the board, spending time with the executive team and going on a listening tour in January, because that is how you become successful, because you listen to everybody in the organization,” said Kong, who announced his plans to retire last month. “I have often said that the person who was going to be really successful with this organization is the one who looks at our 2000 members in North America and says, ‘I'm so fortunate I have all these talented, experienced operators and owners giving me advice on what I can do to help me become more successful in serving them.’”

Cuculic said he has learned much from Kong.

“Mr. Kong has taught me that over the past 12 years; how to be thoughtful, how to listen to our members,” Cuculic said. “It's a special organization, our a membership association that has a right to have their voice heard. And that's what differentiates us from the other brands. I've watched Mr. Kong be successful in that regard, and hopefully, I can continue his legacy of really being so thoughtful, and collaborative with our membership and our board of directors as well. Because it's a team, it truly is a team.”

More for you

ExStay Washington DC

Third regional ExStay workshop set for D.C.

Summary:

  • ESLA and Kalibri will hold the third ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following sessions in Atlanta and Dallas.
  • The event will feature experts from brands, operators, data firms and advisory groups.
  • Sessions will cover investment and include Q&As on developing, renovating, converting and operating extended stay assets.

THE EXTENDED STAY Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs will host the third quarterly ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following earlier sessions in Atlanta and Dallas. The event will bring together extended stay lodging executives for networking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deloitte value-seeking report 2025

Study: Consumers seek value over low prices

Summary:

  • Consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, pushing brands—including hotels—to adapt, Deloitte finds.
  • Economic uncertainty and inflation are driving caution and shifting views on pricing and spending.
  • Value-seeking by generations: 49 percent of Gen X, 43 percent of Boomers, 40 percent of Millennials and 44 percent of Gen Z.

AMID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY and inflation, U.S. consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, favoring brands with added benefits, according to a Deloitte study. This shift is reshaping the market as companies, including hotels, adapt to changing expectations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Red Roof partners with FreedomPay to streamline payments in 700+ U.S. hotels
Photo credit: Red Roof

Red Roof taps FreedomPay for 700+ hotels

Summary:

  • Red Roof is contracting with FreedomPay to provide payments across its 700+ U.S. hotels.
  • The company will gain an integrated solution, improved service, cost savings and efficiency.
  • The company is investing in people and technology to advance the brand, president Zack Gharib told Asian Hospitality.

RED ROOF IS contracting with FreedomPay to provide payments across its portfolio of more than 700 hotels in the U.S. The company will receive an integrated payment solution, upgraded service, cost savings and operational efficiency, according to a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gen Z Shifts Hotel Shopping: Tech, Experiences & Values

Survey: Gen Z redefines hotel shopping

Summary:

  • Younger consumers are redefining hotel discovery through platform-hopping and peer input, according to SOCi.
  • Fragmented search and discovery are reshaping how trust is built.
  • About one-third of consumers aged 18–34 report less brand loyalty than a year ago.

GEN Z IS RESHAPING hotel shopping through multiple platforms, peer input and real-time research, according to SOCi, a marketing platform for multi-location businesses. Unlike previous generations who relied on a single search engine or map app, the younger consumer moves through a series of smaller decisions - starting on TikTok, checking Reddit or Yelp and ending with a Google Maps search.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel Tech Advances; Outpaces Operational Readiness

Report: Tech outpaces readiness in hotels

  • A gap is growing between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel teams still early in AI use.
  • Distribution teams are evolving with limited resources and uneven investment in talent and automation.
  • The report outlines how commercial teams in hospitality are managing transformation.

THERE IS A widening gap between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel staff still early in using AI effectively, according to “The State of Distribution 2025” report. Despite the availability of technology, training, systems and workflows remain in development.

The second edition of the industry benchmark report—published by NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and its Hospitality Innovation Hub, in collaboration with RateGain Travel Technologies and HEDNA—noted that as traveler expectations rise, aligning people, processes and platforms is becoming a driver of performance.

Keep ReadingShow less